(ANSA) - MOSCOW - Between the Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel ''there are serious differences of opinion about the outbreak of the internal conflict in Ukraine, as well as with regard to the major causes of what is happening now'', said speaking to news agencies Russian Dmitri Peskov, spokesman for Putin, after a meeting between the two leaders in Milan. ''Putin and Merkel took stock of the implementation of the Minsk agreement with a focus on the conclusion of the process of separation of the parties involved in the conflict in the south-east part of the 'Ukraine'', Peskov added. The two leaders also discussed the gas dossier.

''Good and positive talks''', Putin said at the beginning of the Asia-Europe (Asem) summit, after the meeting on the situation in Ukraine in the Prefecture with Italy's Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and other leaders.

''I think we made a step forward,'' even though ''there are still differences'', commented Renzi after the meeting with Vladimir Putin and Petro Poroschenko. ''The EU countries are willing to work together on the ''border control'' in Ukraine ''even using drones'', he added, explaining that not ''the instability of Ukraine cannot be accepted, but we need to involve Russia in international issues'', Renzi said. (ANSA).